Sacramento Police officer killed, suspect in custody after standoff

Photo courtesy of Sac PD

A Sacramento police officer was killed in the line of duty on Wednesday after responding to a domestic violence call in North Sacramento. The suspect surrendered early Thursday morning after an 8 hour standoff. Tara O’Sullivan, 26, was shot during the incident and later died from her injuries. O’Sullivan has recently graduated from the police academy in December 2018 and was in training with the department.
According to police officials, officers responded to a domestic violence complaint around 3:30 pm. At around 6 pm, officers were helping the female victim gather belongings from the home when the suspect entered the home and opened fire with a rifle, hitting O’Sullivan. The suspect continued firing at other officers who were forced to take cover. O’Sullivan was pinned down.
At around 6:50 pm a Sacramento Police armored vehicle arrived on the scene and was able to rescue O’Sullivan who was taken to the hospital. Other officers on scene were also taken to safety. Hundreds of law enforcement personnel from neighboring agencies arrived to assist. Armored vehicles from the CHP, West Sacramento and Elk Grove were also used.
The suspect continued shooting throughout night during the standoff. Armored vehicles were placed around the home to prevent an escape and provide cover for officers. Early Thursday morning police were able to make contact with the suspect who eventually surrendered after negotiating with the police around 2 am. His name has not yet been released.
The death of O’Sullivan is the first line of duty death in over 20 years for the Sacramento Police Department. She is the second female officer killed in the area this year. In January, Davis Police Officer Natalie Corona was killed by a suspect, who then took his own life.